The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) on Tuesday told the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that it had demolished the structure meant for horticulture employees in a playground at south Delhi’s Gulmohar Park.
The Tribunal was hearing a plea of the Gulmohar Park Journalists’ Colony Welfare Association seeking execution of an NGT order directing demolition of the structure. The structure would have housed toilets and a staff room for horticulture employees.
The municipal body told a Bench headed by Justice R.S. Rathore that the construction in the park had been knocked down and that it would remove the debris within two weeks.
The Tribunal disposed of the plea noting that substantial compliance had been done by the SDMC.
“The counsel for the applicant has submitted that restitution of the area to its original form needs to be done. The Municipal Corporation official present before us undertakes to do the needful within a period of two weeks from Tuesday,” the Bench said.
Residents’ grievances
The Association had claimed that the SDMC had started construction of a room in October 2014 in the playground, which would rob the residents of the open space and access to fresh air.
The SDMC, however, had contended that the construction of a room was necessary for storing horticulture equipment as an existing ‘kachha’ structure was in a dilapidated condition.
The Corporation also said the park “is a community park and Master Plan for Delhi– 2021 permits amenity structures for housing equipment room/toilet block/guard room in such community park”.
The Tribunal, however, after perusing the layout plan of the Delhi Development Authority, held that there is no mention of a ‘community park’.
